tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Immune Netw
. 2023 Oct 17;23(5):e39.
doi: 10.4110/in.2023.23.e39. eCollection 2023 Oct. COVID-19 Vaccination Alters NK Cell Dynamics and Transiently Reduces HBsAg Titers Among Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B
Hyunjae Shin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ha Seok Lee[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ji Yun Noh[SUP] 3 [/SUP], June-Young Koh[SUP] 2 [/SUP], So-Young Kim[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jeayeon Park[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sung Won Chung[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Moon Haeng Hur[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Min Kyung Park[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yun Bin Lee[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yoon Jun Kim[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jung-Hwan Yoon[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jae-Hoon Ko[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Kyong Ran Peck[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Joon Young Song[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Eui-Cheol Shin[SUP] 2 5 [/SUP], Jeong-Hoon Lee[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination may non-specifically alter the host immune system. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on hepatitis B surface Ag (HBsAg) titer and host immunity in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Consecutive 2,797 CHB patients who had serial HBsAg measurements during antiviral treatment were included in this study. Changes in the HBsAg levels after COVID-19 vaccination were analyzed. The dynamics of NK cells following COVID-19 vaccination were also examined using serial blood samples collected prospectively from 25 healthy volunteers. Vaccinated CHB patients (n=2,329) had significantly lower HBsAg levels 1-30 days post-vaccination compared to baseline (median, -21.4 IU/ml from baseline), but the levels reverted to baseline by 91-180 days (median, -3.8 IU/ml). The velocity of the HBsAg decline was transiently accelerated within 30 days after vaccination (median velocity: -0.06, -0.39, and -0.04 log[SUB]10[/SUB] IU/ml/year in pre-vaccination period, days 1-30, and days 31-90, respectively). In contrast, unvaccinated patients (n=468) had no change in HBsAg levels. Flow cytometric analysis showed that the frequency of NK cells expressing NKG2A, an NK inhibitory receptor, significantly decreased within 7 days after the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine (median, -13.1% from baseline; p<0.001). The decrease in the frequency of NKG2A[SUP]+[/SUP] NK cells was observed in the CD56[SUP]dim[/SUP]CD16[SUP]+[/SUP] NK cell population regardless of type of COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccination leads to a rapid, transient decline in HBsAg titer and a decrease in the frequency of NKG2A[SUP]+[/SUP] NK cells.
Keywords: COVID-19 vaccines; Chronic hepatitis B; HBsAg; NK cells; NKG2A.
. 2023 Oct 17;23(5):e39.
doi: 10.4110/in.2023.23.e39. eCollection 2023 Oct. COVID-19 Vaccination Alters NK Cell Dynamics and Transiently Reduces HBsAg Titers Among Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B
Hyunjae Shin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ha Seok Lee[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ji Yun Noh[SUP] 3 [/SUP], June-Young Koh[SUP] 2 [/SUP], So-Young Kim[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jeayeon Park[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sung Won Chung[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Moon Haeng Hur[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Min Kyung Park[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yun Bin Lee[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yoon Jun Kim[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jung-Hwan Yoon[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jae-Hoon Ko[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Kyong Ran Peck[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Joon Young Song[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Eui-Cheol Shin[SUP] 2 5 [/SUP], Jeong-Hoon Lee[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 37970236
- PMCID: PMC10643334
- DOI: 10.4110/in.2023.23.e39
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination may non-specifically alter the host immune system. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on hepatitis B surface Ag (HBsAg) titer and host immunity in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Consecutive 2,797 CHB patients who had serial HBsAg measurements during antiviral treatment were included in this study. Changes in the HBsAg levels after COVID-19 vaccination were analyzed. The dynamics of NK cells following COVID-19 vaccination were also examined using serial blood samples collected prospectively from 25 healthy volunteers. Vaccinated CHB patients (n=2,329) had significantly lower HBsAg levels 1-30 days post-vaccination compared to baseline (median, -21.4 IU/ml from baseline), but the levels reverted to baseline by 91-180 days (median, -3.8 IU/ml). The velocity of the HBsAg decline was transiently accelerated within 30 days after vaccination (median velocity: -0.06, -0.39, and -0.04 log[SUB]10[/SUB] IU/ml/year in pre-vaccination period, days 1-30, and days 31-90, respectively). In contrast, unvaccinated patients (n=468) had no change in HBsAg levels. Flow cytometric analysis showed that the frequency of NK cells expressing NKG2A, an NK inhibitory receptor, significantly decreased within 7 days after the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine (median, -13.1% from baseline; p<0.001). The decrease in the frequency of NKG2A[SUP]+[/SUP] NK cells was observed in the CD56[SUP]dim[/SUP]CD16[SUP]+[/SUP] NK cell population regardless of type of COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccination leads to a rapid, transient decline in HBsAg titer and a decrease in the frequency of NKG2A[SUP]+[/SUP] NK cells.
Keywords: COVID-19 vaccines; Chronic hepatitis B; HBsAg; NK cells; NKG2A.